School...

People have been asking me “how are your classes?” “What are you learning?”...Well this blog shall explain all of that. I didnt really know what to expect when I came here. All I knew was that I was enrolled in a dts (disciplship training school) that was focused on mass media communications. Now that might not mean anything to you, so I will elaborate. YWAM´s slogan is “knowing God, and making Him known”...So everyday I go to lectures...a lot of them are kind of like a bible study...we have a different speakers daily. Some of the speakers have worked in the media before...Veronica spoke to us last week, she used to work for a newspaper in the States...She talked about how important it is to know who we are in Christ before we can become effective communicators to others, it was a really interesting perspective. Along with these times of study we have times of evangelism. I always thought evangelism was handing out flyers on a street corner about how much YOU need Jesus....and I hate that. But that is not the case at all... In Buenos Aires there are over 3,500 street children. They have to make money anyway they can.....on Friday nights we go out to some common areas and bring food and clothes and just play with these kids. I was really intimidated with the fact that I dont speak the same language. But Ive been learning that the language of love is somthing everyone understands. Ya, so along with these two components of my school there is finally the Media aspect...in some ways we do everything with a media focus, whether its photography, writing, projects, etc...in Januray and February our team goes on outreach, our project will be making a documentary...yes, a real documentary! So we`ve been taking classes focusing on that as well...anyways, thats all I have to say for now. Email me! I love emails!...and if you have any questions, just ask!

ash

The Big "ONE EIGHT"

Okay, turn your head a little to the side...those are my "happy birthday flowers"! yes yes October 20 was the big day, eighteen year. so here are some pictures of what Ive been up to.











Check out this bridge! Im not really sure what the point of it is but it sure is pretty. I went here last night - the pier or port? somthing like that, and there were so many restraunts along the water, very nice.






This is Evelynn, we get along great! She only speaks spanish and refuses to learn english - and i only speak english and refuse to learn spanish. Come to think of it, im not really sure how we communicate...but we are always hanging out together and laughing!





This is me on some random street doing who knows what...but it had some really neat shops. I love to shop.
I love McDonalds Kosher. I ate there the other day...What is Kosher---somthing Jewish right? Well Im not Jewish but I sure do like a Kosher meal every once in a while.



and thats what ive been up to!
later
ash

My Dad is gonna kill me!

So yesterday afternoon Mariel said to me "hey Ash, lets go get a piercing"...and seeing as I had nothing better to do I responded with a "Sure why not!" So we hopped on the subway and found ourselves a piercing shop. Now for quite some time I have wanted my chin/lip pierced, in fact back at home I have walked into the piercing place not once, not twice, but THREE times...and always chickened out. Well I finally went through with it, and it didnt even hurt! My lip is really puffy, but it just looks like its supposed to be that way.......although its quite hard to eat food, talking is no problem - which is quite a relief becaus I talk a lot. So not too sure how gramma`s gonna take the good news, and Dad too for that matter...but I am told it doesnt leave a scar....so why not?....Well this looks like only the beginning of michievious things to do in Buenos Aires...so stay tuned until next time!


-Ashley

The Dorm

What do you get when you put five girls from five different countries together in one room??? You get one mother of a mess dorm!...sooo ya, my mom would be surprised but I am by far the tidiest person here...AND I am probably the one who packed the least... take Mariel for example...she brought fourteen pairs of shoes, six bags, and shirts and pants that she has never even worn before!

I always thought I was really fashionable...im not really, actually compared to some I am almost tom-boy...I alway thought I was fairly "artistic" but there are photographers and drawers and writers here...I have often been the "funny/sarcastic" person in groups of friends....but people keep making the jokes on me!!!! (which doesnt usually happen!!!!) So all the labels I have ever used to identify myself with have already been taken, which leaves me just being me. I am okay with that, but it does leave a person feeling pretty vulnerable...but I guess thats one of the reasons why I am here - to figure out who I am in a completely unfamiliar evironment.

later gater
ash

Why am I here?

For years now I have been telling people that "I want to get into journalism..." But what does that even mean? How can I say that I am passionate about somthing I have never done before?...On one of my flights here a man from montreal started up an interesting conversation with me. He wasn't very old - in his thirties perhaps - and through his thick accent I could tell that he was very culterally aware. We talked about travel, family, work, politics, religion - you name it and we talked about it...well, as deep as you can go with a complete stranger. He gave me his opinion on journalists, about how it's so important for them to follow a moral code of ethics. It's too easy to be swayed away from the truth by what is popular at the moment. Journalists have an important job, to record history as it happens...Since arriving in Buenos Aires I have come to a few conclusions about what I need to do while I am here. First, I need to write as much as possible, writing things as they happen. I don't think that I want to be a "writer," but being skilled at communicating with others is crucial. Secondly, I need to figure out what I stand for, what my opinions are...not saying somthing that is cliche or acceptable...but knowing where I stand on different issues and being able to back those up. Finally, I am here to commit everything that I am and everything that I will ever be, to God. He is the reason I am here, and He is what will bring clarity to how I can best use my life to serve him.
Well, I am not too sure if these muddled thoughts made any sense...but that is all I have right now.

Ciao
ash

foto el blogo...okay, I still cant speak spanish

So here are a couple of pictures of what I've been up to...


That my friends is a REAL camel standing behind me!


At the local market...

and this ends our photo journey because the computer is absolutely retarded.

ash

¿Como?

Another full day in Argentina - it feels as though I have been here a lot longer than I actually have. Yesterday Mariel and Dace (two students) took me to the zoo. They seemed to be interested in the animals, but it was the people that intrigued me. Buenos Aires is a friendly city; being greeted with a kiss is the norm, and although everything here is fast-paced there is still a strong undertone of family values and making time for loved ones. Did I mention the cute boys? ahem, there are some very attractive people here!!! I am by far the youngest person at my school, almost everyone else is in their twenties...oh well, I guess this means I have to grow up - haha, as if. It's fairly easy to travel around - there is a subway that will take you all around the city and its sooo cheap. I went to church yesterday and it was very different. It was loud, it was lively and it was long...haha I bet by the time we left we had spent a good three hours there! Anyways i should get going. Tonight we have a kick off for school...we will be having a party at around 8! Feel free to email me, I would love to hear from you!

Ash